500 Days Of
by Adsini
Summary: Plagued by the memory of a Pokémon once lost, Mallory struggles with the idea of being a Pokémon trainer and unwilling enemy to her rival N.
1. Eki

It was early, the hour of the day Eki had hated.

The hour of the day on which he somehow managed to wield his psychic abilities surprisingly well and threw pillows at the one trying (failing) to wake him.

Quite the opposite of those particular days on which chores had to be done, and he somehow found himself unable to control his powers.

Excuses really.

"They give me headaches." He'd finally said after she'd bugged him for hours.

* * *

_Sassy nature._  
_Often breaks things_

That's what mom's Pokédex had said when they albeit very sneakily, scanned him with the device.  
She'd never laughed quite so hard before but refused to tell whenever he asked her about it, he could be a bit of a drama queen.  
Not that she would ever tell him that either...

They got worse, the headaches, sometimes it made him violent, one particular episode had sent her  
sprawling down the stairs. After that he left the house for long periods of time.

_Often breaks things..._

* * *

It was early, it had been way to early, years before his time.

Back then she was small enough to somehow fit herself on the stiff hospital bed meant for a Pokémon.

The bars on the side of the cold metal bed hurt her back but she refused to move and allowed days to pass - days spend curled up next to her by now frail friend.

She would listen to the sound of the heart monitor, thinking it strange that a beeping sound had to represent the beating of a heart.

A natural sound became something mechanic.

When it stopped it took her breath away.

A sensation like plunging into cold water came over her.

She could see people shouting and large hands took a hold of her, separating two beings already so far apart.

She could only remember bits and pieces of the ceremony

She remembered the grand spiral staircases and how she had to strain her neck to see the top of the tower.

She remembered tombstones and how cold they felt to the touch, despite his rock like appearance Eki had felt warm.

Alive.

Mom had cried.

Touya had cried, he never cried.

The strange tower seemed filled with sad faces, she had smiled at an old woman who stood cleaning an ancient looking grave,  
she was fighting a lost battle really, despite her hard work the stone still looked worn with old age, much like the woman herself.

She didn't like it there.

Eki wouldn't have liked it there either.

The sound of the bell had been nice though. A gentle chime.

Mom and her brother had been the ones to ring it, for that she felt grateful.

She'd had the strange feeling that if she were the one ringing it the sound would be shrill, a shrieking cry like the one reverberating in the depths of her heart. It would only give Eki a headache. Wherever he was.

When she walked down the stairs and followed her mother down the long narrow aisle she pictured herself walking towards  
a large throne. The boy, who was already standing there, eyed her with a disapproving look.

His eyes were the exact same shade of green as Eki's but missed that kind twinkle.

When she blinked in confusion it were her brother's deep blue eyes that met hers. The boy in her imagination was gone, as was Eki.

She stood surrounded by her mother and brother.

Ankle deep in freezing mud.


	2. Concerning a Certain Trainer

From: Professor Elm  
Subject: Mallory White  
Date: March 29  
To: Professor Juniper

* * *

_Your latest update considering the brand new trainers your home village brought forth gladdens me, especially that young man named Cheren_  
_seems to be a promising addition. I do enjoy young, new talent, it makes me remember the old days._  
_however Mallory's situation is highly, and do forgive me for my choice of words, unorthodox. I understand why her mother contacted you and therefore me._

_When you described to me her behavior when meeting her brand new grass-type Pokémon I wasn't surprised, not in the slightest really,_  
_and - yes I do realize that this is entirely beside the point, but I can't help myself, does that particular kind of Pokémon shed its skin?_  
_Forgive me. New things do fascinate me, you know that better than anyone. And the understanding of Pokémon speech is a tricky branch in our area of expertise._

_Very tricky indeed._

_Where was I? Oh - right, the joyeus occasions of meeting one's first Pokémon._

_Lyra has shown behavior quite similar to Mallory, however it took her quite some time with her Cyndaquil before the two of them reached that kind of understanding. She and her Pokémon have been through a lot together, so the bond they share is something natural, they grew and nurtured it together, Lugia has tought her a great deal of things. But I do believe that allowing a Pokémon lots of time outside the Pokéball has been of great influence. It's interesting really. Just saying._

_You described to me Mallory and Snivy's behavior and it seems to me like Mallory's ability to understand Pokémon is just that. Natural. She isn't actively trying to understand a language which should be foreign to her, maybe that is the key to truly comprehending a subtle language which relies strongly on body language and eye contact. It has something childlike really. Some kind of innocence lost to us big bad adults._  
_Lyra has it, Red definitely has it and lately I've suspected that even Silver has started to understand his Pokémon, however he tries to hide it,_  
_much to Lyra's amusement. The young lady, Mallory White, apparently has it too._

_In your previous email, you wrote, and forgive me for quoting you: "According to Mallory, Snivy had been aching to see the Desert Resort, and soak up some sun, he went as far as explaining the principle of photosynthesis to her when she confessed to him that she didn't know how it worked."_

_After that particular incident you described to me how she allowed the Pokémon to return to the wild, by the way, you shouldn't have included the rather colorful language her brother Touya used upon seeing such a feat, that boy really has to watch his mouth, especially in front of young Pokémon, trainers have a very big influence on their partners! Although I don't have to tell you of all people such a thing._

_Somehow the brash, loudmouthed personalities always tend to choose the fire-types... I wonder why? I might make that the main topic of my next_  
_research. The results might be interesting._

_I will speak to Lyra about the matter of Mallory, at the moment she and Silver are visiting the Lake of Rage. It might have been years since what the police likes to call "The Incident" but the effects are still there...lurking beneath the surface._

_I hope I hear from them soon._

_Your friend and colleague,_

_Professor Elm_


	3. Lyra's Master Plan

From: Lyra Soul  
Subject: Mallory White  
Date: April 1  
To: Professor Elm

_Dear professor Elm_

_Thank you for sending me those pictures of Cloud and Midnight. The two of them were – as I told you countless of times – perfect for the Festival of Light in Olivine City. Is it me or did Yasmine use one of her hair thingies on Cloud? Amphy will love that, although Cloud looks less then pleased in the picture where Midnight seems to be laughing her head off. No wonder she evolved so very soon, despite being a Dark type she's extremely bubbly. _

_Now enough with the chitchat and I'll get to business: Mallory White. Judging from what I've read so far the girl is a mystery wrapped up in a lovely enigma. I always enjoyed a good mystery and I think Morty could help us quite a bit in this, his Ghost types might understand Mallory's hardships, if not I'm sure Gengar won't fail in giving her a good laugh. After hearing some folktales about the Unova region Morty has been dying to visit.  
My request might give him the excuse he needs to take some time off from his duties as a Gym Leader. The guy needs a break and his leaving will give my Ho-Oh some peace of mind also. Being studied all the time kind of freaks him out, - strange huh, a shy legendary Pokémon – the last time Morty tried to take his picture he almost incinerated his gym. _

_Understanding Pokémon to a certain degree is a lovely thing indeed. But to be completely honest sometimes it's a real pain in the butt.  
A lot of Pokémon, and If I were writing a letter instead of typing an email I would stress the word _**_A LOT_**_ a truckload of times, are very disgusted by the idea of being caught by a human. Those are the guys that attack you at every other turn when you walk through tall grass or caves.  
I used to believe they were just the hot heads among Pokémon, you know, the brawlers. But when I started to understand their language, it turned out they felt extremely threatened by my presence, it was a real eye opener._

As I continued my journey I noticed that there were Pokémon who were unhappy with their situation, unknown to their trainers several Pokémon hate to fight battles. This one time, I met a lady who owned a Snubbull, the poor thing had been listening to his owner wishing she'd had a Pikachu instead of her. She simply didn't realize the damage she did by saying those things out loud. Despite their amazing power, Pokémon are fragile creatures really.

Mallory reminds me of one of those wild Pokémon, I believe she's just scared of what she'll encounter during her travels. She's afraid that she'll rediscover the beauty a friendship with Pokémon contains. To her, and I'm just guessing here since I sadly never met the girl, opening her heart to new Pokémon feels like betraying the memory of Eki, her very first friend. Her mother, professor Juniper and even you professor Elm, have decided to remedy that, and I would like to offer my assistance.

Mr. Pokémon once granted me the unique experience to travel while carrying a Pokémon egg.  
I do believe Mallory is the type of person stubborn enough to even refuse this opportunity but I suggest we simply won't give her a say in the matter. I've calculated the exact number of steps necessary for a certain Pokémon egg I found to hatch. The kind of Pokémon inside will definitely see her as his/her (I'm soooo not telling which gender it is!) mother.

_This species relies heavily on family, and the little one really needs one. His story is a sad one, and I will definitely include a letter explaining his past to Mallory. _

_Now you know the details of my master plan – I'm a freakin' genius don't mind me saying so! However before I send Mach (aka my newly evolved Dragonite, hurray!) over with the egg I need to know all of you will cooperate with me. The egg will hatch albeit immediately so timing is crucial!_

_Please answer as soon as possible, since the egg is about to hatch. I'm walking on eggshells here – Haha! Pun definitely intended! _

_Okay, Silver is giving me an awful scowl because I'm laughing at my computer screen. He says I'm pretending to write this email so I won't have to join his morning exercise. He's right of course…but don't tell him that…._

_Oh-oh he's standing behind me now,... looking a great deal like his ill-tempered Sneasel. _

_Gotta go!_


	4. On the Road

"TOUYA HILBERT WHITE!"

An audible screech sent Pidove everywhere flying, ruining a formidable Liepard's chance at catching himself an easy breakfast and giving him quite the scare too. Hissing profanities in the general direction of the house the yelling seemed to have come from the sleek feline took his leave, searching for other, less awake Pidove to prey on, all the while marveling at the strangeness of the human race.

At the exact same time a teenage girl, stilly groggy with sleep, wondered the very same thing, secretly happy she'd chosen the attic for her room when they moved.

_Try talking yourself out of this one. _She thought eying the calendar next to her bed. Yesterday's date had been marked with a green marker; she'd chosen that color, it had seemed appropriate.

A pink bag sat by her desk, overflowing with several items appropriate for a long trip. Several changes of clothing, some obviously meant for cold weather, others the stuff you wear during summer. A change of shoes, a few Pokémon supplies, a lighter, an extra bag containing a small tent and a sleeping bag. Her mother had urged her to bring more stuff, Mallory had even caught her trying to stuff a hair dryer in her bag when she'd turned her back. The argument that followed had been one of the most ridiculous discussions Mallory had ever had and – to her embarrassment – lost. The whole ordeal had been quite unnecessary, in the end she hadn't been able to go through with it…

She'd felt a little bit of sadness when she allowed her would-be Snivy to leave. The grass type had been dying to travel. With her those dreams wouldn't be shattered. Joining a human broadened a Pokémon's horizon, statistics had proven that Pokémon had a bigger chance of evolution when they allowed themselves to be caught.

_ "_It's not you, it's me._"_, she'd whispered to the intelligent reptile. He'd hissed, amused by the sentence. Apparently even Pokémon knew that line. He'd been a good sport. Grass types were known to keep their cool. He left with a flick of his tail she interpreted as a haughty "Your loss".

The "Thank you," and " Hasta la vista baby." that followed had made her burst with laughter. Eki would have loved the guy. She would have loved him, and that was where the problem lurked.

Mallory sighed and glared at the packed bag before she turned on her side, squeezing her eyes shut.

_Wonder how far Snivy has gotten… _

* * *

"What happened to your bedroom! For Reshiram's sake I only allowed you to get a Pokémon because you promised it would teach you some responsibility!"

The (most of the time proud) mother of the White twins stared at the mess in front of her, a look of utter horror on her face. She'd seen her share of clutter, and grown quite immune to finding stray socks underneath her son's bed. Cleaning a boys room every week had proven to be quite interesting and little managed to surprise her. However the pandemonium stretched out in front of her stole the crown.

A whole bookshelf seemed to have toppled over, scattering about books which her son had grown out of years ago, it seemed like the television had suffered the same fate, that or Touya had somehow turned the device on its side again so he could watch it from his bed, an according to him brilliant idea he had copied from his sister. Mrs. White didn't dare to check the damage done to an old dresser her own mother had given her, if she knew any better it looked like a whole bucket of water had been dumped over the piece of furniture.

It was somewhat ironic that her son's Playstation 3 had miraculously survived whatever horrors had transpired inside the cramped room.  
Not a speck of dust marred the still shiny device. If possible Mrs. White's temper worsened and she could feel her left eye twitch.

Her youngest – by seven minutes – son nearly jumped through the ceiling when she poked a vaguely human shaped mass in the ribs.

"Where's the fire!" he yelled while struggling with the sheets tangled around his ankles.

"You silly boy!" his mother yelled, poking him a second time followed by an immediate third.

"Just!" another poke, "What!" poke, "Did you do?! I will never hear the end of it if your grandmother finds out!"

"Mum – I'm in my underwear here!" Touya yelled pulling the covers up to his nose in a failed attempt to save face and stealing his brand new Tepig's part of the blankets in the progress.

Mrs. White rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be such a baby. You'll find yourself thrown out of the house in those Pikachu boxers of yours if you don't tidy up this very instant young man! What the hell happened in here?"

Deep blue eyes snapped open at the sound of raised voices located somewhere down the hall. Brow dinted with irritation Mallory inhaled and yelled "He and Cheren had a Pokémon battle in there! If you rip his posters from the wall you'll find some nice looking paw prints. They're a real asset to his otherwise smelly bedroom!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

The sound of a tearing poster was followed by a stream of hissed profanities.

"No! Mum-! Give me back! Oh, come on! You can't take my sheets, seriously, I'm sixteen years old!"

Mallory could hear her brother groan and snickered. It seemed like her mother had gone back to her old methods when it came to punishment. Stealing pillows and bed sheets for an entire week.

_That'll show the idiot for messing with my sleep. _She muttered as she dragged her sleepy feet towards the large golden mirror which hung next to her dresser. Ridiculous hair and dark circles underneath her eyes greeted her. She was in the midst of brushing her wild mane of hair and struggled to put it into a high ponytail when her brother burst through the door.

"You!" he exclaimed, his blue eyes shining bright.

"Who else?" Mallory shot back, raising a single brow. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"You told on me! And Cheren! And you didn't tell on Bianca. Explain!"

Staring somewhat cross eyed at the finger pointing at her face Mallory replied, "That is your question, seriously?"

"Don't you question my question!" her brother shot back seemingly unaware of the fact that he was standing in front of her wearing nothing but his underwear.

"I question a great deal of things when it comes to you Touya." Mallory answered delicately, straightening her already tidy bedspread.

"AHA! I mean – what?"

"What?"

"No I asked first! What kind of stuff do you question when it comes to me?

"Dunno lots of stuff, like why you continue wearing underwear with a cute Pokémon print on it, or why you start reading a magazine from the beginning, cause normal people start at the back.

"No they don't."

"Euhm yes they do!"

"They don't"

Mallory tutted, eying her brother with a raised brow. "Now now, don't get your panties in a twist. It would ruin the lovely print on them."

Touya's face reddened, "You know what this means don't you?" he huffed and folded his arms over his chest, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Knowing that particular look and not liking it one bit, Mallory examined her brother, "I do. It means you have terrible taste in underwear." She replied with false certainty, fluffing her pillow so she wouldn't have to look at her twin. At times he seemed to have the uncanny ability to see right through her.

Her brother laughed softly. "Nice try, but no. Sibling's code says and hereby I quote: "When one sibling tells on the other he or she hereby grants the other the opportunity to reciprocate in a fashion similar to the crime offended."

"Bull." Mallory sighed, "That sentence has Cheren written all over it. You wouldn't have the brains to come up with such a thing. I'm even surprised you managed to memorize all that crap."

Her brother blinked, glancing at his sister obviously wondering if she'd paid him a compliment or said something rude. Deciding on the latter he took a deep breath and repeated the whole shebang.

"Oh spare me!" his sister sighed, silencing Touya with a well-aimed pillow, "basically what you're saying is that payback's a bitch. It's silly really since you have nothing to blackmail me with.

Touya snorted softly. "Mallory, you're my twin sister. Getting in trouble basically runs through our veins."

The young woman frowned, then shook her head with a smile. "Name me one ti-"

"Last week when you smuggled a bottle of liquor to Bianca's room and the two of you got so wasted Cheren had to carry you home." He replied not missing a single beat. "And if I remember correct you're the one who puked in her dad's beloved rose bushes." He said all of this very fast.

Mallory could practically feel color flooding her face. _Oh god how the hell did he find out. _With a groan she buried her face in her hands and mumbled, "Name your price."

Touya pondered his sister's defeat. Secretly he was still mortified with what had transpired the day before. He knew his sister as the type to fling herself into the days as they passed. She enjoyed life, tried new things, made fun with friends. He was different. Despite them being twins he was the careful one. He tested the waters before jumping in, he took it slow while his sister dove in head first.

"You accompany Bianca, Cheren and I to the nearest town." Touya announced noticing how his sister's back tensed. The three of them had asked the day before, but she'd refused claiming it would be dangerous for her to travel without a Pokémon. "We talked about this." Mallory answered, her tone clipped, "you know that after traveling with you for about a week I will find myself forced to find a nice cliff and a trampoline maybe. We talked about this," she gave him a once over, "even blackmailed about this."

"Yep." Touya replied, popping the 'p', "I asked you said no, so this time I blackmail, you say yes. Everyone happy, the perfect solution."

"Do I look happy?" Mallory pointed, pulling a sour face to strengthen her point.

"Don't get me started on your looks!" Touya smirked slinging his arm over her shoulders, messing up the ponytail his sister had struggled with by rubbing his fist over the base of her skull. "You know I'm the handsome one in this family"

"If you were born in a family of Tympole maybe – Ouch! Touya stop that!"

It was like this the two walked – fought – their way over to the kitchen. Before they reached it Touya realized it was now or never. He could feel his sister tense as he bent close and whispered, "I'll tell mom you refused that Snivy."

The blow he received was one of the worst he'd ever took.

_The things I do for that girl. _Touya thought as he lowered himself gingerly to his chair, visibly flinching when Mallory stomped his toe and shared tips to kick his ass with a laughing Tepig.

* * *

"How did _this _happen." Mallory demanded as she stomped alongside her friends and brother, her hiking shoes crunching against the rough dirt road beneath her feet. "Mom was totally in on this wasn't she?!"

They had long passed the borders of the small town they called home. At the moment the little group of excited new trainers plus one not-so-excited companion had decided to try and catch new Pokémon. They had chosen a good, if not unusual summer day to start their journey.  
The sun shone high above their heads and the hazy heat, combined with the occasional buzz of insects and the flutter of wings gave Mallory the urge to relax in the shade with a good book and her iPod. Sadly being forced to accompany her friends made her somewhat antsy.

Touya's Tepig currently bouncing about short tail wagging eyed the teenage girl.

_I really don't understand humans. _It grunted, hoping the other Pokémon accompanying him would enlighten him. The water type owned by the bespectacled boy had been quite pissed off at him after losing their very fist battle. But judging from the way she was positioned strategically on her trainers backpack scanning the grass with one eye while enjoying the sun the water type found herself in a good enough mood to set her grudge aside.

_They are kind of strange aren't they. _She replied stifling a huge yawn. _No fur or wings, and those pathetic blunted claws they have. Although I do enjoy being carried like this and her shouting keeps those Pidove away. _

Tepig's large eyes drifted towards the human wearing the strange rimmed device on his nose. By the annoyed look on Cheren's face he was starting to realize that his shouting friend was doing a better job at scaring of Pokémon than a Repel. His new trainer, Tepig recalled the other humans used the word Touya whenever they addressed him had showed him a Repel. The stench it emitted had made the fire type's sensitive nose sting, and he'd growled at the offensive thing.

_That's not what I meant. _He stated, offering his companion an amused look. _What do you think from all of this? _He asked lightly, turning towards the other Pokémon in their presence.

The Purrloin draped across the blonde haired girl's shoulders like a luxurious scarf stared at them through half-lidded, emerald eyes. Unlike the other two starter Pokémon, who were still young and a bit naïve, Purrloin had been in Bianca's possession for quite a few years. His blonde, human friend had always been a bit nervous around Pokémon, a quirk she hoped to remedy by becoming a trainer. Her father however had always fuelled her nervousness around Pokémon and only allowed her to leave if she brought a familiar Pokémon along with her. Purloin didn't mind. He was strong enough to protect her and wise enough to keep the young Pokémon joining them from doing anything too stupid. The fire type already proved to be quite intelligent for his age. He was definitely curious.

The feline eyed the small fire Pokémon for several minutes before gracing him with an answer. _I think curiosity killed the cat. _It answered enigmatically.

Tepig canted his head, waiting for the feline to continue.

Oshawott snorted. _You might rephrase your previous statement Tepig. I really don't understand humans, nor felines. _She teased good-naturedly.

Tepig would have answered if it weren't for the sudden gust of wind. The utter force of the blow nearly threw him against a large oak tree. The air around them swirled up in a wave of dust, whipping hair, fur and clothes into disarray. He was already snorting in fear when Touya caught him with a loud "Gotcha!"

Meanwhile Oshawott hung on tight to the only anchor she could find: Cheren's hair. Cursing and apologizing at the same time the otter Pokémon growled, shooting jets of water in her panic.

For a split of a second a huge shape located above their heads blocked out the sun. Brought up short by the sudden appearance the humans and their Pokémon scanned the azure blue sky.

"What the hell was that!" Bianca squealed thanking Purrloin with a quick scratch behind the ear when he fetched her green beret from the top of a tree.

"I have no idea." Cheren answered, plucking his glasses from his nose and cleaning it, even when his clothes were dripping with water he somehow managed to look tidy.

"Maybe it was a legendary Pokémon!" Touya shouted jumping up and down already aching to chase after whatever it was that nearly knocked them of their feet.

Mallory who stood hunched over, hands on her knees shook her head. " Nah. That was either a sudden and very short hurricane or a huge Pidove." She laughed sneezing simultaneously. "Eeew I think I swallowed some sand. It even got up my nose."

Bianca sighed, her hair was covered with leaves and twigs. "Sheez, thank god I decide to wear a long skirt instead of a short one."

"Yeah me too." Touya agreed, a grin on his face as he shared a fist bump with Cheren who mumbled, "Nice one. Imagine that. Oompf!" The elbow connecting with his side made him cringe.

"Hey! What was that for!" He yelled after his brown haired friend who continued down the path they were following laughing in an evil kind of way.

Mallory opened her mouth to respond but the Xtransceiver strapped to her wrist buzzed to life.


	5. Dragonite's Delivery Service

The image of a woman in her early thirties appeared on the screen. The surprised intake of breath and hushed "Professor Juniper" from Cheren informed Mallory of the caller's identity. The black haired nerd had always been somewhat of a fan and if she looked closely she recognized professor Juniper as the woman in the picture Cheren kept in his room. She exchanged a quick look with Bianca to see if she'd noticed and had to muffle a giggle when olive green met blue with a knowing look. Rolling his eyes at the girlish behavior Touya huddled closer and smiled into the camera, "Hi professor Juniper! How are you?" he said waggling his eyebrows at Cheren, who muttered a grumpy "Oh stuff it." His pale cheeks darkening slightly.

"Good afternoon Touya, I see your sister and friends joined you. Caught any new Pokémon yet? Oh and hello to you too Tepig, are you having fun?"

The small Pokémon raised a hooved foot and spat sparks in his enthusiasm.

"Weeeell," Touya grinned rubbing the back of his neck, "Not really, we've been somewhat distracted."

_Sounds like excuses to me. _Purloin smirked from his spot on Bianca's shoulder.

"Yeah! You see there was this huge gust of wind!" Bianca exclaimed pushing her cheek against Mallory's to peer into the Xtransceiver, "It came all of a sudden, and just…whooshed us of our feet!"

"Whooshed?" Cheren repeated burying his face in his hands.

"You heard her mate," Touya drawled, "whooshed."

_What's wrong with whooshed? It did whoosh afterall. _Oshawott pondered out loud, scratching her head with her scallop.

"Oh for the love of – move you scatterbrain." Cheren growled, "Professor we believe it was some kind of Pokémon. An Unzefant maybe."

"Or a Legendary!" Touya piped grabbing Mallory's arm so he could look at the professor.

"Nonsense!" Cheren shouted, reclaiming the arm and jumping into an explanation filled with fancy words that made Bianca's skin crawl.  
"The chances of us encountering a Legendary are as slim as finding and catching a shiny Pokémon. "And we all know –" at this Bianca shot an equally baffled Mallory and Touya a concerned look, "those rates are normally 1 in 8192, which is a 0,0112 percent chance of finding one."

"Yes yes, once again you dazzle us with your ability to sound like a walking Wikipedia page. Now if I may have my arm back please?!"Mallory sighed, sending a flustered looking professor Juniper an apologizing look. "Sorry about that, the encounter left us a bit over excited."

"Understandable." Professor Juniper replied accepting a mug of tea from a cute, grey furred Pokémon, she took a sip before turning her attention on the monitor again. "I can explain though, the Pokémon you and your friends saw was a Dragonite. Sorry to disappoint. It seems like you youngsters were expecting some kind of legendary, or a shiny Pokémon in the least."

This time Touya, Cheren and Bianca had to silence Mallory, "A Dragonite!" she beamed, a huge smile on her face, "Guys, a genuine Dragonite and we saw one! Can you believe it a – mphf!"

" Please continue professor." Bianca smiled politely while clasping her hand over her best friend's mouth.

"…err, yes…where was I? Oh about that Dragonite, it came all the way from the Johto region to deliver something I required, some of the things I ordered might be of interest to new trainers , so could all of you stop by my lab?"

Minccino had to cover her long ears when the monitor seemed to explode with sound and for a minute the transmitted image faltered.

"We'll be there in ten minutes!" answered a voice she recognized as Cheren's and before she had time to answer the screen turned black with an audible _click. _Leaning back in her chair the Pokémon professor allowed herself to close her eyes.

"I truly hope you know what you're doing Elm." She muttered to herself, absentmindedly trailing her fingers through Minccino's soft fur.

"She's had it hard, after losing Eki…" A shiver cursed through her spine as she recalled monitors going berserk and energy readings peaking to impossible levels...

She jumped when a large scaled paw touched her arm. Lyra's Dragonite nicknamed Mach growled in what she believed to be a reassuring manner. For a newly evolved Pokémon she was very well behaved. Large almond eyes met hers and after holding her gaze for a few seconds Mach gave her a nod.

"I'm trusting on your instincts." Professor Juniper muttered.

* * *

All too soon the sound of someone knocking disturbed her train of thoughts. Actually by the amount of noise it seemed as if all four teenagers had knocked simultaneously. As she made her way towards the door she clearly heard an irritated voice saying, "I thought we decided I would be the one doing the knocking?"

"Yeah well I got nervous."

"You _were _taking your time Cheren."

"We're not getting any younger you know."

"You speak for yourself, old geezer."

Shaking her head in disbelief the professor opened the door to reveal four bickering teenagers, hands still raised in the air. "Hello again." She said, startling Bianca who jumped back knocking the back of her head against Cheren's chin. "Do come in."

Following the woman into the lab they all came to a halt when she stopped in front of a large horned Pokémon. "I believe introductions are in order." she said, gesturing from Dragonite to the small crowd gathering in front of her, "Touya, Bianca, Cheren and Mallory, meet Mach. She's travelled quite the distance just to help me out." The bipedal dragon studied them with kind looking brown eyes and snickered at the sight of four openmouthed children.  
The young Pokémon accompanying them weren't doing any better, and Mach realized that from their point of view she had to look huge.

"He's wearing a messenger bag." Bianca whispered to her friends. "I really like the design."

"It's a she." Mallory answered and noticing the way Cheren was staring at the silver pendant clipped to the leather bag she followed his example. It looked like a silver feather and shone bright in the sunlight as Mach shuffled her paws. A frown marred Cheren's face and he got that look Mallory recognized as his _I'm-iching-to-learn-more-about-this _look.

_If I didn't know any beter I would start to believe Cheren has a love for shiny accessories..." _She thought with a surpressed snigger, straightening when the foreign Pokémon edged closer.

Tucking her wings against her back Mach lowered her large head towards the boy standing closest. He had messy brown hair, and didn't move an inch at the sight of her large fangs. After smelling him she caught a hint of smoke.

_You have a courageous trainer little one, he has big dreams, protect them. _She said, addressing Tepig. The Pokémon puffed up his chest, proud to receive such a compliment.

Next in line was the blonde girl with the scent of daisies. She whimpered in fear at first but soon giggled when Mach nipped her beret and exhaled a gust of air in Purrloin's face. At this the feline shot her an affronted look.

_A kind hearted trainer with a kind heartened Pokémon, _the dragon decided, adding a playful _although he tries to hide it behind a haughty exterior._

Purrloin, suddenly very interested in anything but the Pokémon staring at him knowingly, snorted.

* * *

The second male's scent reminded her of professor Elm's study, the room had the smell of new books and carried a whiff of the ocean. _Intelligent and very ambitious, _she spoke to the small otter_. Keep him leveled and balanced like the water type you are and the two of you will succeed in a great deal of things. _

Last but not least came the thick haired girl she recognized as Mallory, looking determined the girl waited to be greeted in the same way. Lyra had told her about this strange human. Ocean blue eyes studied her curiously and Mach felt a familiar tingle in the yellow S-shaped antennae on the top of her head. The kind she felt whenever Lyra ordered her to release her Thunder attack. She smelled like a forest after a thunderstorm.

"Hello." Mallory smiled when the large muzzle brushed her cheek and cold, but peculiarly soft scales touched her skin.

Clearing her throat professor Juniper came to stand next to the large Pokémon, "Now that all of you got acquainted with Mach here," at this she patted the bulky Pokémon, "I have something to show. Mach if you'll do the honors?"

Humming happily Mach opened the large bag slung over her shoulder. Bianca, always the curious one, went to stand on tiptoe, her eyes the size of dinner plates. Four moderately sized boxes followed by a fifth bigger one were handed to a smiling professor Juniper. By the time Mach put the last box on the growing pile the brown haired woman's face had disappeared from view. "Oh my, Mallory, would you mind holding this?" she asked, forced to gesture with her chin towards the box sitting on top. "No prob." She smiled accepting the box, frowning at the weight. Professor Juniper proceeded and gave Touya, Cheren and Bianca each one of the smaller boxes. The teenagers looked down thoughtfully at the boxes, "Go on!" the scientist laughed, "open it!"

"Two presents in two days?" Touya asked, while prying at the box "Sweet." They all whooped in excitement when four high tech looking Pokédexes came into view. "We even got five Pokéballs! Mallory have you seen this?!" Bianca chimed bending low so the Pokémon could peer inside the box, smiling from ear to ear when Mallory gave her a clumsy thumbs up. By now the box she was holding was getting really heavy.

"Professor this is too much!" Cheren said, awe in his voice. They all turned when the somewhat mechanic voice of a woman came from Touya's Pokédex.

**_Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Normally, fire shoots out of Tepig's snout, but it shoots out smoke instead when it is feeling ill. _**

**_Nature: Brave_**

"Better in than out I always say!" Touya said with a wink. "Do warn me when you feel something coming mate."

"Oooooh my turn my turn!" Bianca squealed jumping up and down.

_Oh dear. _Purrloin groaned. He sneakily tried to hide behind professor Juniper's leg but got caught by Tepig and Oshawott.

_Oh no you don't! Smile for the camera! _

_**Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon.**_

_Aha! I knew you merely appeared innocent!_ Oshawott snorted blushing a bit when the feline shot her a withering glare.

**_Purrloin fools people into letting their guard down so it can steal their possessions. When angered, it uses its claws to fight back._**

**_Nature: Impish_**

"Hmmm.. so that's why all my socks mysteriously vanished all the time?" Bianca wondered out loud tapping her chin.

"No that's just you being a scatterbrain." Cheren replied patting her head. "You ready Oshawott?" The small otter chirped and rose to her full height allowing the device to scan her from head to toe.

**_Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott attacks and defends using the scallop that can be removed from its stomach. _**

**_Nature: Jolly_**

Nodding Cheren closed his Pokédex. His brain was already coming up with different training methods and strategies that could help him win when he challenged Touya again. "We'll have to work on your dexterity when handing that scallop." He muttered to himself.

"Interesting isn't it." Professor Juniper said, "A pokédex is a very helpful gadget to a trainer. Scientists all over the world use them to catalogue different types of Pokémon. For these reasons I've decided to give each of you one. Getting them proved to be kinda tricky, the government believes it to be dangerous for children to try and fill a Pokédex. So that's were Mach came in. She flew all the way from Johto just to deliver these!" Impressed, they all took the time to thank Mach, complimenting her on her speed and formidable sense of direction, she was getting awfully shy from all the attention and released a relieved sigh when Cheren, ever the serious one, asked, "Why is the government against kids becoming trainers?"

Professor Juniper sighed, the sad look on her face made her appear older then she actually was. "Safety of course. I believe all of you have heard some rumors about Team Rocket or Team Galactic at least once?"

A pulse seemed to ripple through the air. They all noted the grimace of distaste that crossed Mach's face and she closed her eyes against the upcoming outrage she felt. Although regions like Sinnoh and especially Johto were located far away, an ocean separating the continents didn't stop the horrible news from reaching the Unova region. Radio signals driving Pokémon wild, forcing them to evolve… the crippling effects it had on the ones unprepared for such a change. Lugia and Ho-Oh forced to emerge once more, to fight in the name of two children they acknowledged, barely managing to keep them safe from hostile Pokémon, no longer sent out to battle but to kill.  
Sacred lakes destroyed, their guardians robbed from their homes. Time and Space shrieking in utter rage shaking the entire planet.

"We have." Mallory answered, her face grim. It had been all over the news, remembering some of the footage circulating the internet still made her sick. If it weren't for the current Champions of those regions …things would've been entirely different, that much she realized.

"Albeit tragic we should not allow those people to have such a large effect on our dealings with Pokémon." Professor Juniper soothed. "As they say, one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch, but I say you separate the good ones from the bad."

Mallory frowned up at her. _That's an awfully strict thing to say, _she admitted to herself, surprised by the notion. She refrained from commenting on the assertion and remained oblivious to Mach's eyes resting on her form.

"They already upped the age for us to become trainers." Bianca complained, 'S'not fair really!"

"Could've been worse. They were talking about eighteen years old instead of sixteen at first, remember?" Cheren reminded her. "And you never know, with a bit of luck it might be lowered to fourteen within a few years. Folks got scared when in the end that Cyrus guy turned out to be out of his mind but – Touya stop that!" he scowled his eyes narrowing dangerously when Touya pointed his Pokédex at him and the female voice screeched a rather annoyed sounding "ERROR!"

"You gotta admit, it's funny." Touya replied, his face radiant, "You're like an alien! An undiscovered Pokémon."

"Stop that!" Cheren urged. "you always do that when a conversation gets serious." He tried to snatch the Pokédex from his friend but missed.

"Yeah well you're too serious. Talking about those creeps GIVES me the creeps. So I suggest you stop it.

"ERROR!"

"Touya Hilbert White I swear to Zekrom if you don't stop that this instant." He lunged again, pushing Touya's arm in a random direction.

"Kick his right knee!" Mallory cheered, tightening her hold on the box as its contents seemed to move for a second. Bianca nervously wringing her beret kept apologizing to an amused professor Juniper. "They never behave like this!" she lied, adding a lame, "at least not when they're inside?"

"If you don't want me to shove that thing up your –"

_Two oran berries on Touya! _ Tepig snorted.

_Four on Cheren! _Oshawott snapped back while waving her scallop as if it were a pompon

The struggling teenagers were moving closer to the spot were Mallory was standing. Alarmed by the incoming threat of flailing limbs she tried to sneak past them, only to find herself coming to an abrupt halt when the Pokédex got pointed in her direction and beeped to life.

**_Growlithe, the canine Pokémon. Extremely loyal, it will fearlessly bark at any opponent to protect its own Trainer from harm._**

_**Nature: Adamant** _

The struggling stopped. Four humans, and five Pokémon's attention snapped in her direction. The small group didn't notice the smug expression on Professor Juniper's face. She chose not to interfere and took a small step back.

"What the -?"

Mallory's expression was comical as the Pokédex scanned her as a Growlithe. Her brother paused for a second before he roared with laughter. However it died on his lips when his sister gave a startled yell. The box in her hands shook violently, as if someone had stuffed a wild Purrloin and Lillipup in there. A feeble light which grew brighter by the second started emanating heat. "Guys!" she whined, "P- professor, please don't tell me you ordered a grumpy Electrode!"

Touya turned, "Professor! Do something!"

A high bark which sounded more like a yip was the only warning they got. The next thing Mallory knew an orange, black striped blur tackled her to the floor and promptly stuck what felt like a wet nose in her ear.

"WHOA! Excuse me mister! Back down!" She breathed, blinking slowly when two large, caramel colored eyes already lit with something bordering adoration met hers.

Hands folded behind her back, professor Juniper stepped in, hoping to keep the situation from escalating any further. "Mallory if I may introduce you to your new Growlithe?"

"Ye- yah" she choked, wrinkling her nose when a wet tongue licked her cheek, "Seems we're already on licking terms…wait a minute, hold the phone!… m-my Growlithe?!"


	6. Storyteller

Professor Juniper's only instruction before she left the baffled trainers in her sitting room to fetch them some tea was an urgent, "Read that note."

From Mallory's point of view she was in deep trouble. Newly hatched Pokémon were known to imprint on the very first person they saw and at that moment the small puppy, apparently named Growlithe wasn't cuddling up to the cardboard box which had contained his egg. No, he was curled up, sound asleep in her lap. _Most definitely growing fond of the wrong person._

She tried her hardest not to gawk at the tiny Pokémon like some stupid tourist visiting Castelia City, but it was rather hard not to. "Guys, I didn't mean for this to happen." She said, pleading to her friends, hoping they would believe her. "How could I have known there was a bloody –"

"Language Mallory!" Bianca hissed with a wave towards the sleeping Pokémon.

"Sorry." She apologized, "How could I have known there was an egg inside that box?! And what will professor Juniper think! What if she believes I did it on purpose? And poor Mach, she flew this entire way for nothing. Should've Hyper Beamed my ass into next week! "

"You couldn't have." Touya spoke giving her arm a reassuring tap. He was used to this kind of behavior. Whenever his sister got nervous she started to babble. "Hell if I had known I would've held that box. Growlithe are awesome!"

Mallory looked up at her brother's statement, "And risk professor Juniper's wrath?" she asked, a hint of amusement entering her tone.

He snorted, "All she's done up till now is leave to fetch us some tea. Nothing too scary about that, and that's a lot coming from me. You know I despise tea."

"Yeah except if her reasons for fetching that tea is to dump it on my head." Mallory replied sheepishly handing a chuckling Cheren the note. "Would you mind reading it?"

"Thought you'd never ask." He plucked the sheet from her hand and stood pacing back and forth while scanning the paper. Grey eyes narrowed "Interesting." He muttered fixing Mallory with a knowing look. The young woman could feel her heart sink. "What?" Mallory tentatively asked, gripping the sleeping Pokémon closer to her. "Oooh its bad isn't it? I probably stole professor Juniper's niece her first Pokémon. Somewhere some little kid is crying. Gah I'm terrible! Officers and Herdier will come looking for me… I'm- I'm the Grinch who stole Christmas!"

The black haired teen gawked at Mallory. Bianca bit her lip, fighting back a giggle.

"It says it's yours." Cheren replied after reading the very first few sentences for a second time, not quite able to stop himself from adding a disbelieving "And the Grinch, seriously?"

_'She definitely inherited this kind of behavior from Eki.' _Purrloin muttered to himself, lazily adding,'H_er first Pokémon.' _When Oshawott opened her mouth to ask.

_'So this isn't her first Pokémon?'_

Purple tail swiping back and forth in agitation Purrloin racked his brain; admittedly he'd been a mere kitten back then but that Pokémon had always been hard to forget – he could know since he'd tried. After much consideration he decided the truth would be best.

'_Nope, her first Pokémon was a dangerous pain in the ass.' _

'_Dangerous?'_ Oshawott chirped, Tepig adding a confused, '_Pain in the ass?'_

_'Let's just say he was an… accident prone creature. One day he just appeared before Bianca and Mallory, scaring the living hell out of them.'  
_The last sentence caught the young Pokémon's attention and the dark feline found he rather enjoyed his role of storyteller.

'_Why would he scare them?_' Tepig spoke softly, his ears twitching nervously.

Emerald eyes glittering mischievously the feline lowered his voice to a whisper, '_He looked positively terrible. As if Zekrom and Reshiram themselves had attacked him.'_

_'Wait just a minute!' _Oshawott growled, her large nose twitching_, 'Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew a Pidove that this happened to' kind of story?'_

_'Shhhhh! Oshawott you're ruining the ghost story!' _Tepig snorted poking the non-believer with a cloven hoof.

_'Yeah well you just called it a ghost story, and those aren't real.'_

_'Are too.'_

_'Are not!'_

_'Are too!'_

The treat of glittering claws effectively put the argument to a halt. Stretching his sleek back the feline considered the solemn-faced Pokémon crouching near the armchair he'd claimed. _If only I could stop their silly behavior as easily. _The feline thought with a disgruntled look at the still bickering teenagers before jumping back into the memory, sharing it with the other Pokémon.

_'There was blood everywhere. To make matters worse he had that annoying ability…can't remember the name, Bianca's dad had been yelling about Pokémon with that ability, said breeders should stomp it out.' _At that the Pokémon froze in utmost horror, their gasps silent.

_'Back then the two of them weren't friends yet. They were just two unfortunate kids who got into trouble during a school excursion, got separated from the group, chasing after some Pokémon. Idiots.' _He spoke, a hint of affection in his voice._ 'After that little trauma they became the best of friends. The only good thing Eki ever did if you ask me.' _Purrloin hissed, leaning into Bianca's leg. The bitter tone in his voice echoed through the room. It left an equal taste on their tongues.

_'What was it? That ability?' _Oshawott asked, both curious and scared to know.

'_Nasty thing. Transferred his pain to other living beings. Made Bianca sick for an entire week_.' The feline remembered keeping watch by the foot of her bed, the mental image still made his fur stand on end. '_Mallory wouldn't be sitting here today, if it weren't for Bianca. That __**thing **__had somehow managed to paralyze her, poor kid couldn't move, so it was up to my trainer to get them help.' _Purrloin's sigh of relief spoke for them all. Despite the short amount of time they'd all spent together a faint feeling of camaraderie was already present amongst the small group of Pokémon.

_'So after all the trouble Eki caused, Mallory still got to keep him?' _Tepig quietly asked.

The question was silly, they already knew Eki had stayed but after hearing the entire story keeping such a dangerous Pokémon seemed ridiculous.

Purrloin considered carefully before replying, '_I never understood the way humans think, but I always held on to the policy of keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'_

Tipping his head to the side the newly hatched Growlithe considered everything he'd heard. Then, with a single glance to make certain that the blue eyed girl holding him didn't see he lunged for the paper in the tall boy's hand. Small fangs lit up with tiny embers and not even Oshawott's well-aimed water gun could save what was left from Lyra Soul's letter.

"Whoa!"

"Was that a fire fang?"

"Ah… no, no…errrr down boy, sit! No, dude, you'll tackle the both of us to the floor again – Ack! That tickles!"

* * *

Later that day, professor Juniper and Mach watched the small group take their leave. It had taken a lot of persuasion to get Mallory to keep the Pokémon. In the end it had been something the tiny fire type had said to her. The young woman hadn't been able to repeat his exact words, claiming that the finer nuances were lost on her. However one word had stood out shining like a beacon. She'd called his tactics very feline of him which earned her offended cries from the feline and canine in the room.

Choosing her words carefully the woman once again turned towards the large dragon. Seeking the wisdom only a Pokémon held. "I am not certain of this. Things didn't go the way we – and that includes your trainer –planned. I am delighted, thrilled really, that she accepted him, but she does not know his entire story." She quavered.

The Dragon Pokémon stared into the woman's face with a calm solemnity. Eki's tale had been unexpected but after further consideration it had been just that, a tale, whatever happened had happened. It belonged to the past. There was no reason for a newly born Pokémon having to redeem himself from day one. His actions would build his character, not his past, Mach knew as much, and the young Growlithe seemed to realize the consequences of his choices. The world didn't run on 'if only's'.


	7. Silver Lining

When she circled over Mt. Silver, her hot breath reduced to a white fog, she bellowed a short greeting towards a large Charizard which sat perched atop a crooked peak, scanning the impressive view bared out in front of him. The majestic Pokémon had probably seen her approach but in Mach's eyes the whole domain belonged to Red's Pokémon, so respect was in order.

Receiving a mere snort he pointed a clawed paw towards a less steep part of the inhospitable mountain. _As polite as ever. _She thought, unsurprised by the fire type's frigid behavior but still allowing a wave of cold air to carry her tired wings in the appointed direction. Agni's blazing collar signaled her over to a small cavern and she landed next to him in a flurry of rocks and sand. The sound of water was ever present, its almost monotone lull calming her already sleepy senses. Lyra always preferred to set camp near some body of water, settling for a waterfall this time.

'_Waterfall training for Lazuli?' _Mach asked referring to Lyra's Lapras. Agni nodded, lowering the flames around his neck to a soft glow.

'S_he's been in a terrible mood, even chucked me in this morning when I compared her movements on land to those of a Slugma.'_

'_You definitely deserved it.'_ Mach laughed. And with that the two Pokémon stalked off, following the scent of cooking.

_'So, d'you deliver Grim's brat to that new trainer?'_

'Yes…and no.' Mach confirmed.

A swell of fire burst around Agni, with a soft growl of frustration he said, 'O_ut with it Hidden Dragon, what did ya do this time? And spare me your Dragon-type wisdom. Did Grim's egg hatch or did it not?'_

After a moment's hesitation Mach caved, _'I was successful in my mission and Grim's son found himself a trainer.' _

_'Son?_' prompted Agni, his tone suddenly quiet, ears drooping low, 'Hmm.. Grim would've been proud. She always held on to the fact that at least one of her pups would be male, remember?'

The dragon winced at Agni's question. 'He destroyed the letter.' Mach confessed in a low voice, clenching her wings against her back, fighting the urge the hide her snout behind her wing membranes.

_'He did…what?_'

_'You heard me._' Mach replied.

Agni's ears twitched and he pondered the little details Mach had told him. He remembered the good natured Arcanine and how happy she'd been with the prospect of her becoming a mother. She and Lyra couldn't shut up about it for months. _Females…_

But most of all he remembered the look in her eyes when he and Lyra discovered her by the Lake of Rage. She'd been frightened and alone, like the dog she was separated from her pack –easy prey, easy victim. Those radio waves had been too much for her, too much for the pups she carried... One however had survived the ordeal. It went against nature – different, lucky and maybe dangerous.

_'The brat's always been an exception.' _He prompted. The antennae on Mach's head perked. '_Let's keep it that way shall we?' _

These were Agni's final words on the matter.


	8. As I see it? Yes

To Mallory's growing amazement, the young Pokémon's wild beating heart calmed as soon as she spoke the words '_I promise'._

The amount of trust she apparently received on such a short amount of time was staggering. Not one to disappoint she honored her promise and from the moment the Growlithe –her Growlithe's- Pokéball stilled she tossed it back into the air releasing the relieved Pokémon from his restraints. Her friends and their Pokémon cheered, congratulating the two.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" She asked upon seeing the slightly chagrined expression on his face, receiving a lick in return.

_'My egg seemed less cramped, is that…normal?'  
_  
_Yeah, felt the same way when professor Juniper introduced us to those sphere like thingies.' _Tepig answered. The piglet had taken a liking to the second fire type in their small group and since the canine belonged to his trainer's sister he considered the pup family. _'Don't worry about it, these humans are very nice, haven't been inside my Pokéball since this morning!'_

The young Pokémon pondered this whole 'humans being nice' stuff and noted that at some point the friendly looking blonde lady carried the feline she owned after he'd stepped on a thorn.  
And although the glasses guy remained somewhat unreadable and aloof, when he caught his Pokémon staring at the small creek flowing next to the path they were following with a longing look a curt nod from him was all she needed.

Later that evening when they were in the process of spreading pillows and blankets on the bedroom floor – Mallory had gone as far as stealing an extra mattress. If it weren't for Growlithe's keen sense of smell and his idea of a diversion (setting fire to the curtains) she'd been caught red handed by a bossy Audino – the pajama clad humans laughed and joked, shaking a weird – Pokéball like object. Growlithe had been itching to chew on the strange toy but Mallory had talked him out if it with a hushed, "I know it's tempting, all shiny looking and stuff, and oh the blue liquid inside looks like a blueberry flavored slurpee." She confessed, her pallor a tad green all of a sudden, "But when you try it you end up puking blue stuff for an entire day, trust me."

_Trust me… _She'd said it again, even the wide grin on her face seemed similar. As Growlithe turned the phrase around in his mind he found himself wishing to return that sentiment.

"Okay my turn!" Bianca giggled snatching the magic eight ball from a furious looking Touya who sat muttering between his teeth, mentally cursing the toy for doubting his ability to reach the Elite Four.

"Magic eight ball." She whispered a wrinkle of concentration between her brows, "Will light pastel colors be the trend this spring and summer?"

"Oh for the love of god." Cheren mumbled in his palm, running his hands through his already messed up hair when she received a 'Without a doubt' and danced about the room screaming,  
"Now I can buy that mint green nailpolish!"

"If you want to buy something just buy it!"

The blonde looked at her friend, face filled with sincere bafflement, "And risk a fashion blunder?"

"Oh, B." Mallory exclaimed ruffling the blonde's hair, "The horror. Give me that all knowing thing. Magic eight ball, is that Gym Leader from Castelia really gay? Cause last time I saw him on the television he was wearing this awful –

"Mallory! That's private!" Bianca squealed, hastily reaching for the object her brunette friend was waving about like a crazed windmill.

"Give me that! Don't you dare!"

'Better not tell you now.' 

They all took turns blinking dumbly, "What?!"

"Okay who's idea was it to bring this stupid piece of crap?" Cheren asked, his left eye twitching horribly.

"ooooh so Burgh is kinky!?" Mallory laughed.

"Did that sound like a question to you?" Cheren asked Touya, a horrified expression on his face.

"aaaah man, it did, sis you dumbass you actually asked, I'm not checking what that thing answered. You do it!" He yelled throwing the ball at Cheren who smacked it back with his pillow.

"Nuh-uh. I'd rather die dude."

The ball came to a halt near Oshawott.

They all stared at her as she eyed the small display on the ball.

"Can she…?" Bianca whispered

"I planned on teaching her in the future so I'm guessing no?" Cheren replied.

"Don't forget they all stayed at professor Juniper's for quite some time, they might've picked up a thing or two." Touya pitched in.

_'As I see it, yes' _The intelligent Pokémon read out loud. Not quite understanding the fuss the humans made over a simple question.

They all knew when Mallory burst into hysterical laughter. Clutching her sides as she continued to laugh uncontrollably.


	9. Normal? Not quite

Mallory leaned against the base of a huge oak tree, watching Shuri's determined expression as he struggled to maintain his balance after performing a tackle at full speed. "Easy boy! " she patiently advised, "Use your claws when slowing down!"

When Cheren talked about the difficulties of training a new born Pokémon she was expecting the same hardships her friends were currently dealing with.

_ Small fires, the occasional water gun to the face stuff like that… I guess it's normal, poor thing's only a day old._

"That's better!" she confirmed when her Pokémon followed her advice and didn't end up crashing into a trash can with a banana peel on his head. "Now try and put some weight behind that attack!"

She admired the canine's determined attitude when he growled and attacked her sleeping bag with renewed vigor. A few hours ago he'd cowered at the idea of ramming his head against a huge lump filled with rocks. She could sympathize, her head still ached from showing him how it should've been done. After several more attempts, Mallory called a halt, "Don't want to scramble your brain! Good work!" Barking happily the dog skipped towards her and made himself comfortable amidst the large tree's roots.

Mallory sat down next to him, scratching behind his ears, "You did great, did you see how much it moved after that last tackle? There's twenty rocks in there, ask my poor back if you don't believe me!" He leaned into her hand, mouth open his tongue lolling out in a wolfish smile. They sat in companionable silence. Occasionally Mallory explained some things to Shuri, since everything was new to him.

She laughed when he asked upon seeing a man riding a bicycle _'What kind of human is that? He has wheels!'_

"No sweetie, that's a bicycle, people use it because it's faster than walking and it is rather steep here. I won't evolve into something with wheels anytime soon."

Accumula Town, though a small town was saved from being a sleepy old place thanks to professor Juniper's close proximity. Yearly the town was flooded with new trainers starting their adventure with one of the Unova starters.

_'What's that thing in the air?'_

Mallory lifted her face towards the sun, squinting her eyes, "That's the sun kiddo, how do I explain this…" she pondered a moment before slowly adding, "You're a fire type, you know that right?" Shuri nodded, blinking his eyes against the colorful spots he was seeing.

"Well the sun is this big ball of fire –?ow don't look at me like that, it's very far from us so we won't get burned –anyway the sun is the source of life. For example, without rain our world would be very different. However rain doesn't happen without the water cycle. And the water cycle can't progress without the sun, therefore, the sun is the cause of weather." By now Shiru was looking at her with a very puzzled expression on his face, she couldn't blame him for it. "Gosh where is Cheren when you need him… Just… don't look into it too often, it hurts your eyes and sometimes doing so makes you –"

The fire type sneezed with such force his nose crashed into the grass.

"Like I said. Bless you."

The game of ask and tell continued and Mallory closed her eyes giving Shuri the task to describe the things he saw first. The finer nuances of the Pokémon language were definitely lost on her but most of the times she understood enough to provide him an answer without having to peek through her lashes.

_'it looks…a bit like a tree…but there are…sitting on it…_

"Oh! A bench, next!"

'H_igh…narrow….stuff coming out of it…_

Mallory frowned, suppressing the urge to open her eyes, "That's a hard one buddy, what do you mean with 'stuff' coming out of it? Sounds a bit nasty."

Wide innocent eyes blinked up at the mysterious object. '_Sometimes stuff like that comes from Tepi – ' _He corrected himself using the Pokémon's new name, '_Bacon's nose.' _The fire type watched the confusion evaporate from her face, "Oh-oh, I know! A chimney! Next!"

Expecting another description or maybe a Purrloin Mallory's eyes snapped open when Shuri growled, his fur rising.

A small crowd was gathering, they huddled close staring at the raised platform currently occupied by what had to be some sort of organization with the most unfortunate uniforms she'd ever seen, Team Rocket and Team Galactic included . Bianca would have died from a stroke if she ever saw people dressed like that. Mallory couldn't help but laugh when two guys appeared carrying banners with a huge electric blue "P" emblazoned on them.

"Must be Team Prudish." She joked eying the sour expression on a female member of the group. She _can't be much older then ux... _Mallory realized with a start, squinting her eyes to see what happened next. An older man stepped forward and the people who were whispering grew silent. Not only his robes but his whole manner set him apart. _Definitely the superior among this little cult…_Mallory thought gattering Shuri in her arms when his growl was replaced with a whine.

"Mallory!" Cheren's lowered voice came from somewhere in the crowd, "Mallory" He repeated raising his hand, "Come here a sec!"  
Cursing she fought her way through the crowd to were Cheren's hand had appeared. Grabbing him by the collar she forced the taller teenager into a bow, "Way to go Sherlock, did you see the way that loony glared at me?!" she hissed eying the crowd frantically and apologizing to the people who's toes she'd nearly squashed when claiming a spot in the audience.

"Hush. I want to hear this." Cheren whispered allowing an agitated Misa to climb his head.

The scary looking man was still talking, his speech not well received by his audience.

"My name is Ghetsis." He spoke, "I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation. The crowd started whispering in unison, a large man standing close to Cheren exclaimed a loud, "What?"

_Yeah, what the hell?..._ Mallory wondered backing the man up with a nod, a scowl on her face.

Lowering his arm the man –Ghetsis, started pacing, Cheren lowered his eyes and noticed weird spike like things were attached to his boots. They looked sharp and viscious. This little detail made a bigger impression on him then the group flanking their leader._ For one using diplomacy as a weapon he has a rather peculiar taste in shoes..._

"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans an Pokémon are partners." Ghetsis continued, the open expression on his face couldn't quite erase the disdain evident in his voice. "Partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. An equal relationship. Partners. Friends. Even family. However…is that really the truth?" No one spoke, avoiding his gaze, some people shuffled their feet, uncomfortable with this whole new point of view. Mallory used her free hand to grab Cheren's. His grey eyes flitted in her direction for a split of a second, squeezing her hand reassuringly he turned his attention on the man again. "Can anyone say in confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans… only assume that this is the truth?" His voice grew louder, "Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers!" It echoed through the by now empty town. It seemed as if everyone had gathered on the plaza to hear the speech.

"They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work." He spat the word as if it were something dirty. "I ask all of you yet again, is there no truth in what I'm saying? You need not look very far, Pokémon labor is under our noses in every town. However you people know it as Pokémon Centers." Allowing the tense silence to lengthen the man resumed pacing up and down, his long robes billowing behind him and his hands clasped behind his back. The crowd seemed to contemplate this and Mallory could almost see the first seeds of doubt being planted.

_They are actually taking him serious…considering the idea of…_

She looked down at Shuri. _He's my friend. _Gathering her courage she raised her head, "That's rubbish, you're being unfair!" she yelled, her voice accompanied by one other.

"You're being a hypocrite!" Touya yelled, standing somewhere in the crowd, his arm around a teary eyed Bianca, glaring at the people who turned to stare at him. His statement had been a bit harsher then Mallory's catching the attention of the group on the stage. If Ghetsis was offended by being called a hypocrite he didn't show it. "My dear boy, Pokémon are different from humans, they are living beings from whom we have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility towards these wonderful beings?"

"Liberation!" a woman yelled raising her fist.

"I bet that's a member in regular clothes!" Mallory fumed.

"Wouldn't be surprised." Cheren replied, a calculating look on his face, "Diplomacy is a delicate matter."

"That's right!" Ghetsis exclaimed with a bow towards the woman, "We must liberate the Pokémon of whom we robbed freedom! Then and only then will humans and Pokémon be perfect! Everyone…I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon. Open your eyes to the correct way to proceed. The only possible way to proceed. We, Team Plasma, sincerely appreciate your attention."

With that he turned his back on the crowd, which now consisted of angered people yelling insults, questioning his words, and left with his guard of honor. Mallory could feel tears filling her eyes when she spotted people releasing their Pokémon. It broke her heart to see the utter devastation on the Pokémon's faces, their panic when heartbroken trainers turned their back on them and left. Touya and Bianca followed a mother and her crying daughter. The poor child had been forced to release her Minccino. The mother shook her head ignoring Touya's pleas.

_This is terrible…cruel…_

"Momma!" Her train of thoughts crashed to a halt when Shuri was ripped from her arms. Snatched by the scruff of his neck the bewildered Pokémon snarled and snapped.

"Not so tough now are we?" the woman who'd agreed with Ghetsis smirked throwing at least three Pokéballs in Misa's direction. Confronting the tiny otter with a small army of Patrat. "Don't worry sugar, you can make it up to me by releasing this furball here. Poor thing's not even from this region, you certainly dare."

Shuri's pupils dilated with fear, _'Mallory! Momma I don't want to leave you, please!'_

"You give him back!" Mallory yelled, dashing forward to save her Pokémon flinching when a sharp claw accidently scratched her. "Give him back to me! You don't have the right to do this!" she cried her voice strangled.

"You stupid girl. Who gave you the right to catch him?!" The woman snarled back.

"I didn't!" Mallory yelled, almost pleading, as the Plasma member started to retreat.

Shuri's body was steadily growing hotter and hotter, actual heat seemed to emanate from his raised fur. It wouldn't be long before he wrenched some inner power loose, Pokémon could get extremely dangerous when their survival instincts kicked in.

The image of Eki, blurred around the edges as if she were watching him through a veil of mist or water...

"Don't do this or I swear I'll -"

A young man with wild green hair suddenly appeared behind the laughing woman. Grabbing her by the wrist he made a strange twisting movement, drowning out the ominous _'crack!' _with a calm "Enough."He turned her to face him.

"What the hell, you'll pay for that you son of a –..a ." For a second it seemed as if she was suffering from some kind of seizure – M-My Lo" the woman gasped for air, the look on her face almost comical when the tall teenager pushed her away. "You leave those. You forfeited the right." He said when she moved to return her Pokémon. Misa had already defeated two and was currently wrestling the last of the Patrat to the ground, her scallop lay forgotten in the grass where she'd tossed it in the heat of the battle. "B-but." Dull green eyes stared at her with an empty look. Turning his back on the spluttering woman he addressed the fighting Pokémon. "Stop fighting, wait for me outside of town so I can heal you." Almost as if he was their trainer the remaining Patrat ceased his attempt to bite Misa and scurried off supporting his faint allies.

_'Yeah you better run!' _the water type snarled before collapsing with a comical, '_Misa out…_'

"Tend to your friend." The strange teenager said to Cheren, his eyes fixed on the brunette who toppled to the ground with a hard thud when the canine literally flew at her.

She lifted the Pokémon in the air before hugging him close to her. "Awesome tackle buddy, I'm so proud of you, you were very brave." She muttered through thick orange fur. "Don't worry about me" she giggled when an inquiring nose touched her red cheek, "That dumb cow. The next time I give you the permission to bite. I'll never ever hurt you like that. I promise. I love you."

He frowned at the touching scene, stepping closer to the softly speaking pair so he could hear their words. "Your Pokémon…just now…it was saying he –" The teenager froze when he felt something wrapping around his body. It only lasted for a second, a millisecond maybe, the durance was irrelevant, he could almost imagine his mind memorizing the feeling of being held. It was over almost as fast as it had happened and he found himself staring at shining cerulean eyes  
"I…I can't thank you enough." The brunette smiled, not knowing where the urge to hug the stranger had come from. "If it weren't for you..." her words hung in the air heavy with gratitude.

"I don't wish to be thanked." He snapped uncomfortable with the idea of being touched by a human.

"Slow down man, you talk way to fast." Glancing to her left N studied the black haired owner of the Oshawott. Cheren returned the glare with one of his own, raising a single eyebrow, "What's with that stuff about Pokémon talking…that's an odd thing to say."

"They do exactly that. Talk." He snapped back, by now he nearly blurted out the words. "I guess that means you can't hear them. How sad. My name is N."

Cheren blinked. "Short for? You can't possibly think we'll fall for such a cheap trick."

Trying to elbow someone in the ribs in a subtle way so the guy, apparently named N, wouldn't notice wasn't very easy so Mallory stepped forward –making sure she stepped on his toes in the progress–with a bright smile on her face and offered the gangly teenager her hand. "It's nice to meet you N, my name is Mallory White, and Sherlock Holmes over there listens to the name Cheren Kuro."

"Wha –Hey! You made me sound like some kind of stupid dog!"

_'Watch it buddy.' _Shuri growled flashing his teeth when the green haired dude shot him a puzzled look.

N's brow furrowed, "So it's Cheren Sherlock Holmes Kuro? And... he has a hard time accepting _my_ name?" The expression on his face had such a child-like quantity to it Mallory couldn't find it in her heart to laugh at the baffled looking teenager. Cheren however didn't seem to struggle with similar feelings.

"No you dumba –mphf!"

"Just Cheren Kuro." Mallory smiled, yanking Cheren's hair, "We just started our journey, newbie trainers if you hadn't noticed. We were asked to complete the Pokédex and my Sherlock here, wants to be the Champion."

"Hey I never actually said the Champion." Cheren protested struggling free from her grasp.

Mallory's eyebrows rose, "What you prefer Pokémon master now? Lordship? Oh Mighty One? My King?"

"Gah! No I don't… oh forget it.".

N followed the exchange, gaping slightly. He had to look down to make eye contact with the girl, _she's so tiny…no wonder she couldn't win from that other woman. _"The Pokédex, eh?" he asked, not liking where this was going.

"Yep!" Mallory chimed, "You want to see –?"

"So…" N pondered taking a step closer to her, practically towering over her, " To achieve this you'll probably confine many many Pokémon, am I right?"

_Oh-oh good job Mallory, you pissed him off. _

_"_Errr… is that a trick question? Cause I really suck at those, you can ask my homeroom teacher."

"That Pokémon…" another step, he was standing way to close for comfort. "That Pokémon fought back for you and got hurt because of that, he would be better off freed from humans. This is what happens when humans associate with Pokémon. I'm a trainer too…but I can't help wondering, are Pokémon really happy that way?"

Mallory gawked at the mysterious man, baffled by his accusation. "You're…you're taking all of that serious?" she gestured towards the raised platform, by now abandoned, with a shaking finger.

"Your Pokémon…It speaks to me." Said Pokémon bared his teeth at him, the mere thought baffled N, never before had a healthy, unabused Pokémon expressed aggressive behavior towards him. This one's whole demeanor currently radiated a fierce sense of ownership. If he didn't know any better N could've sworn he was receiving the dog equivalent of a '_Back of pal she's mine.' _

_Such fierce loyalty…Only a Pokémon is capable of such a feat…_He studied her face, enthralled by her blue eyes.

Mallory glanced at Cheren, seeking reassurance with her best friend. The green haired dude just kept staring at her face as if something interesting had been written all over it. _Kinda creeps me out…  
_  
"Well, Mallory is it? Let me hear the voice of your Pokémon!" That said he tossed a pokéball into the air. Releasing a violet furred, very eager looking Purrloin.

"Huh? Did I miss something?" Mallory asked eying Cheren who had cleared the makeshift battlefield and was making strange throw-something- gestures.

She blinked dumbly, fighting against a smile pulling at her lips. He looked positively ridiculous. "Sorry Cheren I didn't quite get that, could you do it again."

He actually did, the irritated expression on his face made it all the more hilarious.

"Pfft… I really suck at hints, from what I see you're trying to fish but somehow the hook got stuck?"

"Just battle him you idiot!" Cheren barked his cheeks an odd pink color.

"Okay you asked for it, our first battle Shuri!" the Growlithe sprung to the ground and rising to his full height he growled threatingly.

"That's intimidate." Cheren muttered aiming his Pokédex at the snarling canine. "It lowers your opponents attack power." He yelled at his confused friend.

"Sweet I can work with that! Okay Shuri intimidate the hell out of that kitty and follow it up with a tackle!" With a loud bark the Pokémon charged into Purrloin smacking the feline against the ground.

"Remember those claws!" Mallory yelled when Shuri nearly lost his balance earning himself a scratch on the nose for it.

"Keep dodging him. Then retaliate with an Assist." The blast of flames coming from the dark feline hardly damaged Shuri, unphased by the heat a second tackle put an end to the fire attack.

"Okay! Good! Try to end it with an ember of your own!" Dodging the incoming cat only barely Shuri responded with a blast of fire strong enough to knock the cat against a nearby bench. It didn't get up after that and a startled N ran towards it's limp form checking for any serious injuries. He tensed when he sensed the girl standing next to him. Her long hair –fluffy was the word that involuntarily came to his mind –nearly touched his shoulder as she crouched to study the feline.

"He's a very beautiful Purrloin." She said after eying his markings, "My best friend has one too and he's gorgeous really…but I like your eyes even more, don't tell though!"

N noticed the way she listened intently, not saying anything when the Purrloin gave her a rude response, she laughed when he accused her of 'Befriending dogs and smelling like one too'.

"Guilty as charged." Mallory admitted sheepishly, rummaging through her pink bag, muttering something which sounded like "Stupid bag, bottomless when you need something quick and too cramped when your mother tries to stuff in a hairdryer. Aha! Knew I brought some." With a flourish she placed a tasty looking Oran Berry in front of the grumpy Purrloin. "Eat up! You'll feel better!" Green eyes met clear blue and held for an amount of time and N suddenly realized that the two of them were probably extremely stubborn.

_'Lady I'm not eating that.' _Purrloin snarled, eying the berry with a withering glare.

'_What? Did I kick your ass to the point you can't eat furball?' _Shuri scoffed.

_'Go fetch something pup, the adults are talking.'_

_'Oh you're talking? Seemed like you were being a sore loser to me.'_

N sighed. _Might as well put an end to this. _Rising to his feet he turned, there were still other small towns on his father's list, other Pokémon to set free.

Looking over his shoulder he watched the girl with the blue eyes. She was busy trying to keep a cat and a dog from being exactly that, a cat an a dog. For some reason he found these futile efforts oddly endearing. "I never expected to hear Pokémon say such things. As long as Pokémon are confined in Pokéballs, they will never become perfect beings. That much is clear. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they're my friends." And with that said he left, allowing the Purrloin to climb on his arm.

"That's the definition of a weirdo." Cheren muttered, returning Misa to her Pokéball. Next time you see him you run in the opposite direction, got that?"

"Cheren. You know I love you dearly but sometimes you can be such a worrywart."

"Tell that to your brother after I told him about this guy."

"And what would you tell him?"

"That some older guy is staring at you like a man lost in the Desert Resort would stare at a lake."

Mallory frowned. "Huh. I'll definitely ask the Magic Eight Ball."

"That's your answer to everything."

"Signs point to yes."


End file.
